The Story of Jonah
by Lion warrior
Summary: The Detailed account of Jonah like you have never seen before. I hope.
1. Chapter 1

The Story of Jonah

Chapter 1: The Mission

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The sun rose on a small community on the edge of the Mediterranean Sea. This town started to come alive. Shouts of sales filled the flea market along with the distinct smell of fish. The big boats at port were filled with spices and smells that tickle the nose. This was Joppa. A small ship's port town and a gateway to the known world. Of course, this is not where the story begins. It begins in the far side of Joppa where the rich-end people lived. These were doctors, moneylenders, and tax collectors. This piece of Joppa was decorated with two-story brick houses with decorated wooden doors to see. It was a delightful place.

"BEWARE ISRAEL!" Well, most of the time. "Have faith in God and obey His Word or suffer the consequences," said a man. After his speech, he was applauded and cheered. His profession was one of a higher calling. The man's name was Jonah, and he was a prophet of God. He heard God's Word and spoke to the people.

He wore a blue robe and a yellow and black garment under the blue rode. He wore a brown headband and his skin was a very tan-brown. His black beard gave him an old yet young appearance. Of all the people of the town, he was the richest. He was staying at the fanciest inn of all Joppa. He had been preaching in Joppa for two weeks now, and he was well-known in Israel.

"Thank you," Jonah spoke as the crowds left. Life was good for Jonah. He would just have to speak and people would just be astounded. Whether they really listen and understood what he said never concerned Jonah. Of course, he would thank God for giving him the power. Jonah returned to his room in the inn. The day turned into night where God revealed another message to Jonah.

"Yes, Lord, what is it," Jonah asked, alone in his room, "Oh, you have a message. About what? What? People lying, stealing, cheating, and committing adultery! Sounds like the only one of your Commandments they have not broken is the first one. Oh they've broken that one, too? Where are these people? I'll be there tomorrow first thing in the morning. Where is it? Damascus? Jerusalem? No, it's got to be Gath. What? I'm sorry can you say that again? Okay, either I'm going crazy and insane or I heard you say a town I would never go to. Oh No, not Nineveh!"

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**First Bible ****fan fiction. Chose a short one.**


	2. Nineveh or Tarshish

Chapter 2: Nineveh or Tarshish

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Nineveh? Did the God of heaven and Earth just want Jonah to go to the wicked city of Nineveh? Nineveh was the capital of Assyria, and the people there were everything but holy. They were so twisted and wicked that they were at the point where they didn't know right from wrong. However, the architecture of the city was admirable, but the people were blinded by their sin. How in the world could God ask Jonah to do something so...off and lunatic?

"You're asking me to do something that cannot be done." Jonah spoke to God, "Those people are vicious and mean. They are wicked and bad and satanic. Furthermore, the place is really bad. Please don't send me there with a message of Your mercy." Jonah was of the higher class in Israel. He didn't want to go to a dump like Nineveh.

_I can't go to Nineveh. It's a forbidden city, and I'll never be able to be clean again,_ Jonah thought. He thought and thought but soon sleep won over his thinking process. The next morning, he came up with, what he thought, the perfect idea not to go to Nineveh. As the saying went in Israel: Never in Nineveh. The plan was...to run away from God. In a wide view, escaping from God's view would be like living without breathing. Still, Jonah went with it anyway. He packed his bags, went out the door, and started down the street to the harbor. The harbor was riddled with shouts and cries of sales, deals, and discounts. The vendors, with their multicolored shacks, tried to match the price of their competitors. The seagulls swayed low over the open sea. Boats and large cargo ships littered the harbor. The sky was clear and the sun shone brightly. Jonah walked over to all ships and finally came to a ship that was going to Tarshish, the furthest place from Nineveh.

"Is this ship going to Tarshish?" Jonah asked the captain of the ship.

"Aye," answered the captain in a rusty voice, "we be going there after we get to Philippi and then to-"

"I'll go with you," Jonah interrupted, handing the captain a little sack of gold. He walked past the captain and boarded the ship. With a guilty conscience he walked across the deck. The shouts of men and the smell of seawater and sweat filled the air. Jonah decided to go under the deck and rest. The ship soon sailed away, and Jonah fell asleep. The ship was soon in open waters and the waves started to get rough

"Sir," one of the crew said to the captain, "it seems to me there shall be a storm brewing soon."

"It matters not," replied the captain, looking at the gathering clouds, "We've been through storms and rough seas before." So they sailed on, but the seas started to get rougher and rougher. The boat rocked dangerously back and forth, and the lightning flashed with a deafening thunder. All the while, Jonah was sound asleep. The rain, thunder, lightning, and waves crashed all around. One of the crew was thrown back from the force of the wind. He fell back into the room underneath the deck where Jonah slept. He looked over and saw Jonah resting peacefully among the cargo. The crew member got up and shook Jonah awake.

"What are you doing sleeping," shouted the man, "get up! This storm is the largest we have ever witnessed! Pray to your God and maybe we can get out of this!" The waves knocked him back into the wall. "Ah!" he said in agony, "Someone is responsible for this storm!" That gave him an idea. The man ran screaming the captain's name. Jonah looked around the room. It was dark and gloomy, and the top of the deck was the same.

As Jonah heard the monstrous thunder outside, he thought to himself,_ what have I done_? He knew that this storm was sent from God. Now because of him the men of the ship were in danger. Jonah rushed up stairs and plunged into the chaos. He saw a circle of crew members and the captain casting lots. When the lot came upon Jonah, all the men stared at him while Jonah's skin turned pale.

The captain shouted at the top of his lungs among the storm, "What have you done? What have you done to bring this storm upon us? Who are you?" Worried and nervously shifting, Jonah said shaking,

"My name is Jonah. I'm a Hebrew and I was sent by the Lord to go to Nineveh, but I didn't want to go to that city, and I ran away from God." It finally made sense to the men. Tarshish was the furtherest place city humanly possible. However, it seemed now that the God of this man was very angry at him for being disobedient and ignorant. The storm got worse.

"What shall we do to get out of this storm," shouted the men?

"You have to throw me overboard! Then the storm will calm," Jonah replied. Even so, the men did not want to send Jonah to his death even if it was his fault that their lives were at stake. So they tried harder to ride the storm out, but it got worse and worse. They tried for and hour to get out of the watery deathtrap until finally they gave in and reconsidered their opinions.

"Lord," the captain shouted to Jonah's God, "We do not want to die nor do we want this man to die. Oh, God we know that you have sent this storm upon us for your good will. Lord, please let us not be responsible for this man's death." So with that he ordered the men to throw Jonah overboard. He splashed into the rough seas. Immediately, the storm calmed and the clouds rolled away. The seas were still and the ship stopped rocking. "It is true," the captain said, "his God is the God of the seas, air, earth, and skies." They brought guitars and flutes and praised the Lord. What about Jonah? He sank further and further down. His vision was blurred and he was running out of air. Suddenly a large fish, of which was a fish specially created by God, swallowed Jonah whole. Jonah could now breathe but the air was very humid and it stank. He sat in the dark with his knees tuck into his chest. What he sat on, he didn't know or want to. It was a horrible situation.

"What have I done?" Jonah muttered to himself.


	3. Forgiveness in Unlikely Places

Chapter 3: Forgiveness in Unlikely places

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It was damp and dark and it must have been two days making this the third day. "Lord," Jonah prayed from inside the large fish, "I'm sorry. I know I should have followed you to Nineveh. It was because of my selfishness that I was blind. I have not only sinned, I have done iniquity. Please Lord, forgive me, even though I don't deserve it. If you deliver me from this pit of sin, I'll serve you and I'll go anywhere you want me to go. Still, if you don't, then you are still just and fair." He was prepared to die. Then, suddenly, Jonah felt himself rocking unusually fast. He heard a growl, and the next minute he found himself in the air. He hit the sand of a beach. Jonah slowly lifted his head while his eyes adjusted to the light. He was free! Free from the belly of the beast! He was covered in seaweed and gunk from the stomach. He smelled horrible and his tan skin was now pale. Jonah slowly got to his feet and shouted in a raspy voice, "Thank you Lord! Where do you want me to go?"

"Nineveh," God replied, "go to Nineveh." Without thinking, Jonah headed straight for Nineveh. He got drink and food by a traveling caravan and with his strength refilled, he traveled on. He walked across the hot desert until finally he came to the city of Nineveh. The city crawled with people, donkeys, pigs, and dogs. It was well-known that the people would eat the pigs and donkeys sometimes. Jonah looked around. Harlots were in dark corners talking to men. Men were fighting men for money or food. Kids were stealing bags of change from adults and adults were doing the same. Jonah walked to the center of the city where the ruler of the city was watching a fight. The two men were wrestling. The shouts of the crowd were deafening. The monarch then noticed Jonah in the cluster of the chaos. He stood still, not shouting or jumping, and the clothes he had left were Hebrew. The ruler felt that this man had something important to say. So he stopped the fight and asked Jonah to step forth. Everyone got quiet as Jonah walked to the center of the ring. The crowd started to sniff. The putrid and horrid smell coming from Jonah made the crowd hold their noses. Jonah stood confidently in the middle of the crowd.

"You must be a stranger to our city," the ruler said with his cloth over his nose and mouth, "are you friend or foe of our city?"

"I'm a messenger and prophet of the Lord God," Jonah shouted with divine power, "the Lord has told me that this city will be destroyed if you continue in your sin. Stop lying, stop cheating, stop committing adultery, stop stealing, and especially stop fighting and killing each other! Turn your hearts to the Lord or He will burn this place to the ground in 40 days!" The crowd shook with worry and concern. How could this happen? The ruler had a face of horror and consulted his magicians and wizards hoping it wasn't true. Yet after they came back with the same thing, the sovereign, in royal robes, fell on his knees to the ground. He began to weep and cry. He shouted for the scribe to issue a decree.

He said with tears,"Let the city weep and cry. Let everyone repent from their sin, little to big. Perhaps this God of great power who gave us this warning will give us...another chance." The people broke went from the crowd in sobbing. The whole city was in tears. The next day the city had people in sackcloth and ashes on their heads. Tall and short, young and old were in the street crying their heads off. In the midst of all this sorrow, Jonah stayed at an inn where he washed off the smell he had lingered around. He bought new clothes and some food to eat as he sat watching the people wallow in self pity. He had to admit that he had some pity on the people. However, it was soon swept away remembering their prior sins. In his own mind, they deserved to die. Thirty-nine days this went on.

On the fortieth day Jonah went outside of the city into the hot desert wilderness. He sat outside facing the city. This was the day! The day they were supposed to burn and suffer for their sins. Jonah built a small hut out of branches and sticks. It offered little shade, though, and Jonah was baking under the sun. Then he felt a shadow come over him, cooling him down. He turned to see a great vine with large palm leaves to shade him. Jonah smiled and watched in waiting for the city to burn down. Soon night came and Jonah wondered when God was going to destroy the city. "Maybe he will do it over night," he yawned as he went peacefully to sleep. However, while he was sleeping, worms came and started eating the plant. By the next morning the plant was dead and Jonah woke up with the full force of the sun's heat on him. He saw the dead vine and he was angry and upset. He marched out the hut to confront God.


	4. Forgiveness for those who seek it

Chapter 4: Forgiveness for those who seek it

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**"**Why did you let the plant die," Jonah shouted to the heavens, "why didn't you kill the worm? Why didn't you destroy the city? Why, why, WHY!"

"Jonah, listen," God spoke to an upset Jonah, "look at the plant. You cared deeply for that plant because it gave you shade. Did it give you a bill for letting you use it's shade?" Jonah became annoyed. God's humor was starting to get to him. "Now, look at the people of Nineveh," God said, "when you came in they were sinful people, yes. But, when you gave them My Message, they immediately turned away from their sins. They don't know right from wrong so how can I punish them about something they don't even know they're doing. Besides, considering the time it took them to repent~sincerely~they are faster than the Israelites." Jonah was shocked. Then he thought about it. It was true once he remembered that the Israelites were really wishy-washy. A prophet would have to go to Jerusalem five times a month just to get the people to consider repenting. Yet these people just heard one word and they do a 180. In a way, though Jonah hated to admit, the people of Nineveh were more committed to God than the Israelites were. Soon Jonah heard shouts and praises from the city. The people of the city were praising God for forgiving them. Jonah thought about it for a long time. Then he remember his position in the fish. At first he wished he had died in that fish because God didn't destroy the city. Nevertheless, he considered God's statement. Maybe compassion didn't have a specific race. Perhaps mercy was for anyone.

"But your our God," Jonah said after the pause.

"Who created the world?" God asked Jonah, "Who made the animals and insects? Who made the first man and woman? I'm not the God of the Israelites. I'm the God of humans. I AM that I AM." Jonah finally understood. Love was for everyone and anyone. Jonah began to walk to the city a new person. He now understood that mercy and compassion was for all people. It was their choice to accept it or not. Now he walked to the city to teach the people of Nineveh about the God of mercy and compassion. He would teach them about God, his God, their God, the God of every human.

The end


End file.
